It’s a public health tragedy that PepsiCo’s baked chips are not taking off, expert

PepsiCo's baked potato chips could make a difference to public health, says nutrition policy expert

PepsiCo’s baked potato chips are an outstanding example of fat reduction in a popular snack and from a public health perspective it is a tragedy they are not a mainstream choice, a nutrition expert says.

PepsiCo developed its baked potato chip variety using specialist technology - spraying a thin film of oil on potato slices and microwaving the product. The product boasts 70% less fat than regular potato chips.

“The result is an astounding fat content reduction in a very popular food,” nutrition policy specialist, Professor Jack Winkler, said.

“This is a product which by using a different technology has cut actually more than 70% of its fat content,” Winkler told BakeryandSnacks.com.

“In many food products, a transformation of that magnitude would be widely celebrated,” he said.

Little acknowledgement, weak presence

However, the professor said the product has received few endorsements and little acknowledgement from nutrition and health experts. “Potato chips are the archetypal bad food and they can’t bring themselves to say anything good about them.”

Furthermore PepsiCo’s baked potato chips have limited distribution and its regular counterpart significantly outweighs it in terms of store presence, he said.

“This is a product with many virtues and my fear is that for bad reasons, it’s not going to realize its full potential.”

“It’s a tragedy that baked potato chips have such limited distribution at present,” Winkler said.

“In principle, this is a product that should sell wherever regular potato chips sell.”

‘Outstanding’ fat reduction

In research updated especially for BakeryandSnacks.com Winkler presented data comparing the fat content of the UK Walkers potato chip product with other foods, typically recommended as healthy options by nutritionists.

Two packs of PepsiCo’s baked potato chips have less fat than a standard glass of milk, less fat than a recommended matchbox portion of cheddar cheese and less than half the fat content of an average size porridge oats bowl.

Compared to 100g of mackerel, 100g of baked potato chips contain three-quarters the amount of fat and compared to 100g of chicken, only 59%.

Salt levels are also significantly lower than regular potato chips, the professor noted.

A standard pack of potato chips contains 1.96g of salt per 100g compared to 0.93g in the baked variety.

The health-push failing

The globe’s current health strategy has failed, Winkler said. “For 40 years, there has been a heavy emphasis on education and information to change diets… but in my view we must be doing something wrong.”

“In my strategy – the pragmatic – manufacturers must start with foods consumers like now and improve the nutritional profile of these products,” he said.

“PepsiCo’s baked potato chips are a supreme example of this but it is not being picked up because it is such a contentious food in its present form,” he said.

“If this product became the mainstream range the technology could make a difference to obesity rates in children and public health overall,” he said.

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PepsiCo’s baked potato chips are an outstanding example of fat reduction in a popular snack and from a public health perspective it is a tragedy they are not a mainstream choice, a nutrition expert says.

5 comments(Comments are now closed)

Better alternative

If you want less fat, but a great tasting chip, the Cape Cod reduced fat line is amazing.

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Posted by Dave10 November 2012 | 12h502012-11-10T12:50:52Z

IT'S ABOUT TASTE, NOT FAT

PEPSI'S BAKED CHIPS TASTE LIKE CRISPY PAPER. IS IT ANY WONDER THEY ARE NOT TAKING OFF?

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Posted by CONRAD09 November 2012 | 17h272012-11-09T17:27:33Z

It's about calories, not fat

This article misses a key point about dietary guidance. The concern should before about kilocalories and fat quality, not total fat content. The baked potato chips are not that much lower in calories. And, when fried with healthy oils, regular potato chips can contribute needed mono and polyunsaturated to the diet (and change the macronutrient content to reduce carbohydrate content). When you also consider the less than optimal sensory characteristics of a baked chip, then, calorie for calorie fried chips are the smarter choice.

Pack size

Rafat - each pack of Walkers Baked potato chips is 37.5g

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Posted by Kacey Culliney09 November 2012 | 16h022012-11-09T16:02:59Z

Packs size

in this paragraph :
Two packs of PepsiCo’s baked potato chips have less fat than a standard glass of milk, less fat than a recommended matchbox portion of cheddar cheese and less than half the fat content of an average size porridge oats bowl.